diff --git a/nano/core_test/rpc.cpp b/nano/core_test/rpc.cpp
index 6a3b13740..2bcedd401 100644
--- a/nano/core_test/rpc.cpp
+++ b/nano/core_test/rpc.cpp
@@ -1952,6 +1952,49 @@ TEST (rpc, work_generate)
 	ASSERT_FALSE (nano::work_validate (hash1, work2));
 }
 
+TEST (rpc, work_generate_difficulty)
+{
+	nano::system system (24000, 1);
+	nano::node_init init1;
+	auto node1 (system.nodes[0]);
+	nano::rpc rpc (system.io_ctx, *system.nodes[0], nano::rpc_config (true));
+	rpc.start ();
+	nano::block_hash hash1 (1);
+	uint64_t difficulty1 (0xfff0000000000000);
+	boost::property_tree::ptree request1;
+	request1.put ("action", "work_generate");
+	request1.put ("hash", hash1.to_string ());
+	request1.put ("difficulty", nano::to_string_hex (difficulty1));
+	test_response response1 (request1, rpc, system.io_ctx);
+	system.deadline_set (5s);
+	while (response1.status == 0)
+	{
+		ASSERT_NO_ERROR (system.poll ());
+	}
+	ASSERT_EQ (200, response1.status);
+	auto work_text1 (response1.json.get<std::string> ("work"));
+	uint64_t work1;
+	ASSERT_FALSE (nano::from_string_hex (work_text1, work1));
+	uint64_t result_difficulty1;
+	ASSERT_FALSE (nano::work_validate (hash1, work1, &result_difficulty1));
+	ASSERT_GE (result_difficulty1, difficulty1);
+	uint64_t difficulty2 (0xffff000000000000);
+	request1.put ("difficulty", nano::to_string_hex (difficulty2));
+	test_response response2 (request1, rpc, system.io_ctx);
+	system.deadline_set (10s);
+	while (response2.status == 0)
+	{
+		ASSERT_NO_ERROR (system.poll ());
+	}
+	ASSERT_EQ (200, response2.status);
+	auto work_text2 (response2.json.get<std::string> ("work"));
+	uint64_t work2;
+	ASSERT_FALSE (nano::from_string_hex (work_text2, work2));
+	uint64_t result_difficulty2;
+	ASSERT_FALSE (nano::work_validate (hash1, work2, &result_difficulty2));
+	ASSERT_GE (result_difficulty2, difficulty2);
+}
+
 TEST (rpc, work_cancel)
 {
 	nano::system system (24000, 1);
diff --git a/nano/lib/errors.cpp b/nano/lib/errors.cpp
index 369abbab9..53ede4b10 100644
--- a/nano/lib/errors.cpp
+++ b/nano/lib/errors.cpp
@@ -116,6 +116,8 @@ std::string nano::error_rpc_messages::message (int ev) const
 			return "Unknown error";
 		case nano::error_rpc::bad_destination:
 			return "Bad destination account";
+		case nano::error_rpc::bad_difficulty_format:
+			return "Bad difficulty";
 		case nano::error_rpc::bad_key:
 			return "Bad key";
 		case nano::error_rpc::bad_link:
diff --git a/nano/lib/errors.hpp b/nano/lib/errors.hpp
index 86ac654a4..de68ea231 100644
--- a/nano/lib/errors.hpp
+++ b/nano/lib/errors.hpp
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ enum class error_rpc
 {
 	generic = 1,
 	bad_destination,
+	bad_difficulty_format,
 	bad_key,
 	bad_link,
 	bad_previous,
diff --git a/nano/node/node.cpp b/nano/node/node.cpp
index 4dd5d375a..34dfc4a39 100644
--- a/nano/node/node.cpp
+++ b/nano/node/node.cpp
@@ -2269,6 +2269,7 @@ public:
 								boost::property_tree::ptree request;
 								request.put ("action", "work_generate");
 								request.put ("hash", this_l->root.to_string ());
+								request.put ("difficulty", nano::to_string_hex (this_l->difficulty));
 								std::stringstream ostream;
 								boost::property_tree::write_json (ostream, request);
 								request_string = ostream.str ();
@@ -2365,14 +2366,15 @@ public:
 			uint64_t work;
 			if (!nano::from_string_hex (work_text, work))
 			{
-				if (!nano::work_validate (root, work))
+				uint64_t result_difficulty (0);
+				if (!nano::work_validate (root, work, &result_difficulty) && result_difficulty >= difficulty)
 				{
 					set_once (work);
 					stop ();
 				}
 				else
 				{
-					node->logger.try_log (boost::str (boost::format ("Incorrect work response from %1% for root %2%: %3%") % address % root.to_string () % work_text));
+					node->logger.try_log (boost::str (boost::format ("Incorrect work response from %1% for root %2% with diffuculty %3%: %4%") % address % root.to_string () % nano::to_string_hex (difficulty) % work_text));
 					handle_failure (last);
 				}
 			}
diff --git a/nano/node/rpc.cpp b/nano/node/rpc.cpp
index a89f119ee..cb2982338 100644
--- a/nano/node/rpc.cpp
+++ b/nano/node/rpc.cpp
@@ -4152,6 +4152,15 @@ void nano::rpc_handler::work_generate ()
 {
 	rpc_control_impl ();
 	auto hash (hash_impl ());
+	uint64_t difficulty (nano::work_pool::publish_threshold);
+	boost::optional<std::string> difficulty_text (request.get_optional<std::string> ("difficulty"));
+	if (!ec && difficulty_text.is_initialized ())
+	{
+		if (nano::from_string_hex (difficulty_text.get (), difficulty))
+		{
+			ec = nano::error_rpc::bad_difficulty_format;
+		}
+	}
 	if (!ec)
 	{
 		bool use_peers (request.get_optional<bool> ("use_peers") == true);
@@ -4170,11 +4179,11 @@ void nano::rpc_handler::work_generate ()
 		};
 		if (!use_peers)
 		{
-			node.work.generate (hash, callback);
+			node.work.generate (hash, callback, difficulty);
 		}
 		else
 		{
-			node.work_generate (hash, callback);
+			node.work_generate (hash, callback, difficulty);
 		}
 	}
 	// Because of callback